Thiruvananthapuram | Kerala Higher Education Minister Roji M John on Friday said the Congress-led UDF's election promise of providing a monthly stipend of Rs 1,000 to all girl students in colleges across the state would be implemented during the current academic year.

He was speaking to reporters after announcing the results of the APJ Abdul Kalam Technological University (KTU) examinations here.

John said the stipend scheme, one of the five guarantees announced by the UDF ahead of the Assembly elections, would be incorporated in the state budget.

"As it will be announced in the budget, I do not want to reveal further details now. However, the Rs 1,000 guarantee for girl students will be implemented in the current academic year. The preliminary work for the project has already begun," he said.

Responding to the Opposition's criticism that the state government was remaining silent on the Governor's interventions in Kerala universities, John said such interference in the day-to-day affairs of universities had begun during the previous LDF government's tenure.

"Before that, such a situation was unheard of in the history of Kerala's universities. It was the LDF government that paved the way for this trend. Appointing vice-chancellors, senate members and syndicate members without consulting the government started during the LDF rule," he alleged.

The minister said the LDF government's response to such interventions was well known.

"There were protests and agitations. But once discussions between the Governor and the Chief Minister concluded, the protests ended abruptly. These developments were part of an understanding. This pattern in the higher education sector was introduced during the LDF regime," he claimed.

John reiterated that the UDF government would not support any attempt at 'saffronisation' of the higher education sector in Kerala.

On the delay in announcing the Kerala Engineering Architecture and Medical (KEAM) entrance exam results, the minister said uncertainty over the CBSE Class XII marks had led to the postponement.

"We have extended the deadline till June 14 for CBSE students to upload their mark lists, following concerns raised by students and parents. We can announce the KEAM results only after the uncertainty regarding the CBSE Class XII results is resolved," he said.

The minister said the KEAM results could not be withheld indefinitely, as it would affect admissions to engineering colleges as well as arts and science institutions.

"We are trying to streamline the admission process. KEAM results should not adversely affect admissions in other colleges. We are ready to publish the results. The only issue is that CBSE students have not been able to upload their mark lists," he said.

He added that any further delay could affect the academic calendar. The minister also announced that APJ Abdul Kalam Technological University had recorded the highest pass percentage in its eight-year history in the 2026 B Tech degree examinations.

The overall pass percentage stood at 60.1 per cent, a significant improvement over previous years.

The corresponding figures were 36.5 per cent in 2019, 46.5 per cent in 2020, 51.8 per cent in 2021, 50.47 per cent in 2022, 55 per cent in 2023, 53 per cent in 2024 and 51 per cent in 2025.

The examinations concluded on May 16 and the results were published within 13 days after consolidating the outcomes of various examinations, including supplementary examinations.

A total of 30,049 students across 40 engineering disciplines appeared for the examinations.

Of them, 18,125 students passed.

Among female candidates, 9,203 of the 11,955 students who appeared passed the examinations, recording a pass percentage of 77.1 per cent.

Among male candidates, 9,322 of the 18,873 students passed, resulting in a pass percentage of 49.4 per cent.

According to the minister, 62 colleges recorded above 50 per cent of pass and 82 colleges achieved above 40 per cent of pass.

Congratulating the successful students, he also commended university officials, principals, teachers and staff for ensuring the timely publication of the results.

John said the government was planning a special programme for colleges with low pass percentages.

"After consulting the colleges concerned, we will suggest changes and improvements to enhance academic performance," he said.

Highlighting the growing opportunities in engineering education, the minister pointed to emerging fields such as Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, Robotics, Automation, Data Science, Cybersecurity and Biomedical Engineering.

He said the government and KTU were working to strengthen the higher education ecosystem and create greater opportunities for students to pursue quality engineering education within Kerala.

As part of efforts to guide students seeking engineering admissions, KTU will organise a three-day orientation conclave titled "Student Orientation for Aspiration and Readiness (SOAR) 2026" on June 15, 16 and 17 across 30 engineering colleges in the state.

The programme aims to help Plus Two graduates understand career prospects in engineering, assess their aptitude and interests, and make informed decisions about selecting suitable engineering branches and courses, he said.

John said the government's objective was to introduce necessary reforms in higher education, particularly in engineering education, and provide students with a supportive ecosystem that enables them to pursue quality education and career opportunities within the state.